Failed Lilly Drug Prompts Concern

By

Shirley S. Wang

Updated July 20, 2011 3:08 a.m. ET

PARIS—New research on a failed Alzheimer's compound from Eli Lilly & Co. suggests the drug had a long-term negative effect on patients' cognitive abilities, raising questions about other experimental drugs in the same class.

The compound, semagacestat, is no longer in development, but with similar drugs from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and EnVivo Pharmaceuticals also in the works, the new findings presented at the Alzheimer's...